TextB  Tour Guide

Perhapsthe most distinctive and difficult job in the tourism industry belongs to thetour guide. The term “tour guide” has a very precise meaning: a tour guide issomeone who takes people on sightseeing excursions of limited duration.

Typesof tour guides

Thereare two types of tour guides, one in charge of local sightseeing and the otheraccompanying a group throughout its travels and making all the arrangements forthe group. The sightseeing guide must be familiar with the points of interestthat he is showing to the visitors. He usually gives prepared talk but he must alsobe prepared to answer a lot of questions. And he has to deal with any problemsthat occur during the tour. A sightseeing guide needs two qualities — anoutgoing personality and language skill.

Thetour guide who stays with a group throughout its trip needs these same twoqualities. He needs to have a thorough knowledge of the workings of all kindsof transportation systems and regulations that the tourists will meet whengoing from one country to another. One of his jobs involves handling thebaggage for his group, another involves making sure they get the kind ofaccommodations, food, and entertainment they have paid for.

Besides,there are also on-site guides, city guides, specialized guides and step-onguides. An on-site guide conducts tours of one or several hours at a specific building(such as St. Peter’s in Rome), attraction (such as Disneyland), or limited area(such as the Kennedy Space Center in Florida).

A cityguide points out and comments on the highlights of a city, usually from aminibus, or van, but sometimes as part of a walking tour. Another type of cityguide is the personal or private guide. Private guides take a small number ofindividuals on their own exclusive tour. Though they rarely spend more than aday with any group, city guides often need to have a considerable amount ofaccurate information about the city in which they work. For this reason, theyare sometimes tested and licensed by a local government agency.

Aspecialized guide is someone whose expertise or skills are highly unique. Forinstance, adventure guides lead unusual, physically demanding tour experiences.Another example is Egyptologists (研究古埃及的专家) onNile cruises, who have highly specialized knowledge of the history, art, andculture of that country.

A step-on guide is hired by tour groupsvisiting from other regions as a freelance (独立的) “specialist” who gives an informed overviewof the city to be toured. Such freelance guides usually operate independently.

Routines

Certaingeneral procedures are used on all tours, these are called routines. One way oflooking at a tour manager’s routines is to break them down into fivecategories: pre-trip routines (to prepare for the trip), first-day routines(done early in a tour), each-day routines (repeated daily), last-day routines(to close off a group trip), and post-trip routines (done after the tour isover).

1.Pre-Trip

Beforea tour leaves, a tour manager usually:

▲ Finds out what tours have beenassigned to him or her.

▲ Researches the tour if it isunfamiliar.

▲ Checks to see if any special holidaysoccur during the tour.

▲ Attends a briefing meeting and asksabout anything that is unclear.

▲ Reviews the material given. A good tourleader will carefully review the passenger list and become familiar withpassenger names and any special client information or requests.

2.First Day

On thetour’s opening day, a tour manager reports to the place the tour will begin.Usually the spot time will be well in advance of the clients’ arrival time. Thetour director should determine whether all is running on schedule and check theterminal to find the location of restrooms, shops,

restaurants, and other conveniences. Whenpassengers arrive, the tour manager introduces himself or herself, checksluggage,hands out essential documents,and assigns seating. A tour director must be friendly and professional from thestart. The first impression is invariably (永恒地) themost lasting one. Very early on, the tour guide will have to review with the groupthe general itinerary for the tour as well as the rules and regulations such asthe seat rotation policy. This is also the time to establish camaraderie (情谊、友谊)with and among the group.

3. EachDay

You must carry out certain routinesevery day on the tour, especially on motorcoach (游览车)tours.

▲ Inform the group of the day’s times andevents first thing in the morning.

▲ Find out about any special freeactivities (e.g. free concert or fire work) and tell your clients about it.

▲ Research times and places for thosepassengers who wish to attend religious services (especially on Saturday orSunday).

▲ Whenever clients leave the motorcoach, givethem a precise time to return.

▲ Be sure to get back to the motorcoachwell before your clients do.

▲ When they return to the coach, take acareful head count to make sure everyone is back. Then tell them what will behappening next.

▲ Assist passengers as they enter andexit a coach to be sure they don’t walk off a bus directly into traffic.

▲ Inform clients of when a seat rotationwill occur.

▲ Circulate among the group and encouragegeneral cordiality (热诚；真挚) andinformation exchange.

▲ In spare moments, reconfirm allappointments that are about to come up, including those for the next morning.

▲ At day’s end, give tour members ageneral outline of the next day’s events and specific information about thenext morning’s first activities and departure times. Immediately after theydisembark (下车), check the motorcoach’s seats andluggage racks to make sure nothing has been left behind.

4. LastDay

Atour’s last day is a peculiar one. The passengers are tired and so are you. Butthe last day leaves a strong impression. An escort should do everythingpossible to liven up the day.

Ifyou’re on a plane or train, make an effort to circulate (周旋、来回走动)as much as possible among your clients. On a ship, it will be easy the cruise lineusually holds a farewell extravaganza (壮观的表演). On amotorcoach, carry out as many activities as possible to make the time go byquickly.

5.Post-Trip

Afterthe trip is over, the tour manager usually reports to the company, handing inrequired forms and describing any unusual events that occurred. Some companieswisely send follow-up notes to clients, thanking them for the business. (1078words)

 

Exercises:

A. Readthe passage and answer the following questions.

1. Why does the author say that the mostdifficult job in the tourism industry belongs to the tour guide?

2. What qualities does a good tour needto have?

3. What are the major types of tourguides?

4. What are the five categories ofroutines used in tours?

5. What will a good tour leader dobefore the tour leaves?

6. How does the tour guide establishcamaraderie with the tourists from the start?

7. What will the tour guide always do ateach day’s end?

8. Why is the last day of the tour is apeculiar day?

B.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. Though they rarely spend more than aday with any group, city guides often need to have a considerable amount ofaccurate information about the city in which they work.

2. A step-on guide is hired by tourgroups visiting from other regions as a freelance “specialist” who gives aninformed overview of the city to be toured.

3. Very early on, the tour guide willhave to review with the group the general itinerary for the tour as well as therules and regulations such as the seat rotation policy.

4. If you’re on a plane or train, makean effort to circulate as much as possible among your clients.

5. After the trip is over, the tourmanager usually reports to the company, handing in required forms anddescribing any unusual events that occurred.